Sunday, November 28, 2010

Coming from MonkeyBrain Books in December is the third volume of Kim Newman's wonderful Diogenes Club stories. In his seminal vampire epic ANNO DRACULA, Kim Newman reinvented the Diogenes Club similarly to how it was presented in Billy Wilder’s The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, which is to say as a top-secret government organization involved with strange doings. In essence a sort of X-Files outfit, founded by Mycroft Holmes, keeping England’s shores safe from supernatural, psychic and alien oddities over the last 100 years or so.

From the 1860s to the present day, these are the accounts of the Diogenes Club, whose agents solve crimes too strange for Britain's police, protecting the realm-and this entire plane of existence-from occult menaces, threats born in other dimensions, magical perfidy and the Deep Dark Deadly Ones. Kim Newman continues the series began in The Man From the Diogenes Club, revealing more mysteries of the British Empire's most secret service.

It is 1888 and Queen Victoria has remarried, taking as her new consort Vlad Tepes, the Wallachian Prince infamously known as Count Dracula. Peppered with familiar characters from Victorian history and fiction, the novel tells the story of vampire Geneviève Dieudonné and Charles Beauregard of the Diogenes Club as they strive to solve the mystery of the Ripper murders.

Anno Dracula is a rich and panoramic tale, combining horror, politics, mystery and romance to create a unique and compelling alternate history. Acclaimed novelist Kim Newman explores the darkest depths of a reinvented Victorian London.

This brand-new edition of the bestselling novel contains unique bonus material, including a new afterword from Kim Newman, annotations, articles and alternate endings to the original novel.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

In 1971 actor Peter Cushing recorded a fully unabridged reading of Arthur Conan Doyle's THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES for the Royal National Institute for the Blind. The recording has previously only been available to registered blind users of RNIB audio recordings. In February 2011 Cosmic Hobo Productions will be releasing the first volume (of the massive 13 hour collection) to the general public. The release has been digitally re-mastered from the original recording, and includes new sleeve notes by Holmes expert David Stuart Davies.

Cushing gives a masterful and highly dramatic performance that showcases his talent for mimicry and various accents making this far more than a standard reading. At times he seems to almost be channeling his BBC Sherlock Holmes co-star Nigel Stock's voice when playing Watson. Highly recommended!

Volume 1 will be released on February 7, 2011. To pre-order via Amazon UK click here. Alternately, order direct from Cosmic Hobo before January 31 and use the discount code 'moriarty' at checkout to receive a 25% discount.

If you have an interest in actor Peter Cushing, you might also enjoy Cushing's reading of his second autobiographical book PAST FORGETTING, which is currently available from Cosmic Hobo Productions. Originally released in 1988, Cushing’s own reading of Past Forgetting has long been out of print. Now on CD for the first time, this edition includes a bonus documentary featuring some of those who worked with Cushing, and new sleeve notes by The League of Gentlemen’s Mark Gatiss.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Written by IAN EDGINTON; Art by DAVIDE FABBRI; Cover by RYAN SOOK
A year after the defeat of Professor Moriarty's revenant horde and the fire-bombing of London, restoration is well under way. Yet, from across the sea, ancient eyes cast their hungry gaze upon the still vulnerable capital…Dracula is coming!

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson investigate the wreck of the ship, the Demeter – its crew missing, the corpse of its Captain lashed to the ship's wheel – and soon realize this is merely the opening salvo of war from beyond the grave! Don't miss this start to a bloodthirsty new 5-issue miniseries!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

The US broadcast of the third episode - THE GREAT GAME - in the new updated BBC series SHERLOCK airs Sunday, November 7th at 9PM EDT (8 Central) on PBS as part of the MASTERPIECE MYSTERY series. For details visit the PBS MASTERPIECE MYSTERY SHERLOCK page.

To see the original unaired pilot be sure to pick up the DVD release. Also featured on the DVD are commentary tracks featuring creators Moffat and Gatiss as well as Cumberbatch and Freeman. Click here to order the DVD via Amazon.

In January, the origin of one of the world's most iconic heroes - Sherlock Holmes - is revealed by writer Scott Beatty with art by one of Dynamite's new "finds" Daniel Lindro. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's dauntless detective returns in an all-new series of adventures exploring the sleuth's untold origins! Join Dr. John Watson as he meets young Sherlock Holmes in a fateful encounter that will forever shape both men's destinies! Mysteries and murders most foul abound as we discover clues that reveal just how Holmes became the world's most famous detective! Discover more about the beginnings of the iconic Sherlock Holmes this January!

"Here's the deal: Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson are the ORIGINAL partners-in-crimefighting," says writer Scott Beatty. "Sherlock Holmes: Year One is no mere ‘Year One' story. For both Watson and readers, Sherlock Holmes IS the mystery. Who is he? Where does he come from? What drives him? Watson is compelled to find out. And it'll take more than deductive reasoning to solve the most important case of the detectives' careers, a dozen murders laid squarely at their feet!"
"We were very proud how our first Sherlock Holmes mini-series performed, both critically and commercially, and when collected, we were fortunate in that the Hardcover and TPB both exceeded our expectations in sales." says Dynamite Entertainment President Nick Barrucci. "Our fans wanted more Sherlock Holmes comic books, but we did not wish to rush a series out, and we waited to strive for the best possible creative team for the origin of Sherlock Holmes. The story that Leah (Moore) and John (Reppion) told in the first issue received praise from fans to contemporary comic book writers from Ed Brubaker to Joe Michael Straczynski, Damon Lindenolf and other luminaries. We wanted to wait till we had just the right story, and have with Scott Beatty - who did a fantastic job on Ruse - as writer and new found artist Daniel Lindro as artist. To top it off, we have covers by Aaron Campbell who rendered the art on our premiere Sherlock Holmes series as well as drawing Green Hornet: Year One with Matt Wagner, and Francesco Francavilla who is currently drawing Marvel's Man Without Fear. Sherlock Holmes: Year One will not disappoint!"
"It's my privilege to be associated with such a venerable and influential character," says cover artist Aaron Campbell. "Dynamite's Sherlock Holmes stories, which I was fortunate to draw the interiors of the last series, can be just as exciting and relevant today as they were 100 years ago!"

"I have been a Sherlock Holmes fan since I was a kid, watching Basil Rathbone's movies and reading Doyle's novels," adds cover artist Francesco Francavilla. "So it's no surprise I am very happy to be part of Dynamite's new Sherlock series as a cover artist."

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author, Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887. As a brilliant London-based detective, Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his forensic science skills to solve difficult cases.

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT, the publishing division of DYNAMIC FORCES, INC., was founded in 2004 and is home to several best-selling comic book titles and properties, including Red Sonja, Green Hornet, Project Superpowers, The Boys, Army of Darkness, Battlestar Galactica, The Lone Ranger, Zorro and more!

In addition to their critically-acclaimed titles and best selling comics, Dynamite works with some of the most high profile creators in comics and entertainment, including Alex Ross, John Cassaday, Garth Ennis, Michael Turner, Jim Lee, Michael Avon Oeming, Brian Reed, Mel Rubi, Marc Guggenheim, Stephen Sadowski, Mike Carey, Jim Krueger, Greg Pak, Brett Matthews, Matt Wagner and a host of up and coming new talent and fan favorite creators!

DYNAMITE is consistently ranked in the upper tiers of comic book publishers and several of their more recent launches - including Alex Ross and Jim Krueger's PROJECT SUPERPOWERS - have debuted in the Top Ten lists produced by Diamond Comics Distributors. In 2005 Diamond awarded the company a GEM award for Best New Publisher and another GEM in 2006 for Comics Publisher of the Year (under 5%). The company has also been nominated for several industry awards, including the prestigious Eisner Award.
Aside from their monthly periodical comic book series, DYNAMITE also produces new and classic material, including Tim Truman's SCOUT, Carlos Trillo and Eduardo Risso's BORDERLINE and TALES OF TERROR, Jim Starlin's DREADSTAR, as well as reprint editions of classic RED SONJA material.